St. Peter’s +10.5 at RIDER, 7 pm
Pick: Over 141
Rider is a tough team to bet.
It’s as one Broncs insider told me, “No lead is safe, whether we’re down 20, or up 20, it’s going to be a game.’’
He’s right, too. In their last two games — a tough loss at Iona and a tough win at home over Marist — the Broncs trailed by as many as 16 points in the second half. They came all the way back to lead at Iona before losing and came back to win against Marist.
One thing Rider does is score. They average 77 points a game and have scored 80, or more, nine times this season. What it doesn’t do is lose at home. The Broncs are 6-0 at Alumni Gym this season and have won 16 straight home games. They haven’t lost a home game in the MAAC since they lost to Canisius, Feb. 17, 2017.
So the safe bet tonight, if you’re daring enough, is to take Rider on the money line against a St. Peter’s team that is 1-10 on the road this year. If you want to lay the 10.5, you’re braver than I am with a Broncs team that is just 6-13 against the spread this season.
The play, however, is the over. Rider will score, and they’ll allow St. Peter’s to creep into the 70s as well. Look for big games from Jordan Allen and Stevie Jordan and perhaps a breakout game from Dimencio Vaughn, who has been relatively quiet of late.